.Orders massive recruitment of 20,000 new Police Officers
By Chinenye Onwusonye
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a nationwide security emergency and ordered sweeping recruitment across the Armed Forces and police, following renewed attacks in several states. The directive was contained in a written State House statement.
The statement, signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, on November 26, 2025, authorised the Nigeria Police Force to recruit an additional 20,000 personnel, raising its total intake to 50,000. It also approved the use of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camps as temporary training centres to fast-track deployment.
According to the statement, police officers withdrawn from VIP protection duties will undergo accelerated retraining before being sent to security-challenged regions. The Department of State Services (DSS) has likewise been ordered to deploy trained forest guards to flush out terrorists and bandits hiding in forested areas, and to immediately begin fresh recruitment to reinforce the effort.
Describing the situation as a “national emergency,” the President said the government was placing more boots on the ground to restore order. He commended security agencies for the rescue of 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi State and 38 abducted worshippers in Kwara State, assuring that efforts would continue to free others still in captivity, including students in Niger State.
Tinubu used the statement to charge the Armed Forces to maintain discipline and resist any form of compromise. He paid tribute to personnel who had lost their lives in recent operations, including Brigadier-General Musa Uba.
The President also urged the National Assembly to begin reviewing laws that would allow states seeking their own police forces to establish them. He cautioned state governments against operating boarding schools in remote areas without adequate security and advised religious institutions in vulnerable regions to consistently seek police protection during prayers.
On the recurring farmer-herder clashes, Tinubu appealed to herders to embrace the newly established Livestock Ministry’s ranching initiative, end open grazing, and surrender illegal weapons.
Expressing sympathy to families affected by attacks in Kebbi, Borno, Zamfara, Niger, Yobe, and Kwara States, he warned that the government’s restraint should not be mistaken for weakness. He called on Nigerians to remain calm, vigilant, and supportive of security efforts. “We are in this fight together, and together we shall win,” the statement added.
The emergency directive takes immediate effect.
